But the neighborhood wasn’t without its charms: To insiders, it was always known as a great place to explore. You could come across amazing finds (with prices to match) at one of its many dusty second-hand stores, as well as a great place to find roomy, dirt cheap apartments.

A lot has changed since then. The dusty old stores have mostly given way to boutiques and artsy cafes; the ones that remain are well versed in terms like “mid-century” and lay in hopes of snagging an expat hipster willing to dig deep into their pockets. Long gone are the days of easy apartment searches and rent prices are today among the highest in the city.

This said, a trip to Neukölln is still a must for every traveler who wants to experience Berlin’s special brand of coolness. Here is our guide to the neighborhood’s best budget-friendly restaurants and bars, complete with several tips on where you can still get a taste for old-school Neukölln. We’ve broken it up into three main districts, Kreuzkölln, Rixdorf, and Schillerkiez.

Related: 10 Day Germany itinerary through Berlin, Potsdam, Hamburg, and Munich

Kreuzkölln

On the border to Kreuzberg, this part of Neukölln is especially popular with the hip, younger party crowd. The major streets are Weserstrasse, which extends from Hermannplatz, Reuterstrasse, Hobrechtstrasse, Pannierstrasse and Maybachufer, which runs along Landwehr canal, and Sonnenallee, also known as “little Lebanon.”

Food & drink under €10 in Kreuzkölln

With dozens of cafes, bars and restaurants, you’ll find plenty of places to chow down in Kreuzkölln. However, many of the places come and go at the whim of gentrification and prices are on the rise. Here is a list of a few tried and true tips, with good grub for under €10.

Wochenmarkt am Maybachufer
Maybachufer, Tuesday and Fridays, 10 to 6:30

Also known as the “Turkish” or “Oriental” market, this market has many cheap eats on offer mixed in with the produce and textile stands. Be sure and try a Gözleme, a traditional savory Turkish stuffed flatbread, served hot off the griddle.

Mae Charoen Thai Imbiss
Sonnenallee 134

An authentic Thai place with scrumptious curry dishes for €5 and under.

Croissanterie Cocina
Pannierstrasse 56

An old-school Neukölln establishment, this funky café bakes up what some call the best croissants in the city. It also serves great coffee and a small selection of other baked goods.

Fräulein Frost
Friedelstrasse 39

Great ice cream place with exotic flavors mixed in with the basics. Indulge your inner six-year-old and order a Spaghetti Eis, vanilla ice cream shaped like pasta with strawberry sauce and ground nuts posing as parmesan and marinara.

Ä
Weserstrasse 40

One of the first bars to open in what was then the newly dubbed Kreuzkölln, Ä is a smoky, no-frills watering hole that attracts a student-aged crowd. The place gets packed pretty fast, so come early if you want a seat.

Nathanja und Heinrich
Weichselstrasse 44

Here’s another “smoker’s bar” (you’re still allowed to smoke in bars if food is not served) with vintage furniture, a big store front window, exposed brick walls and a youngish crowd.

Soulcat
Pannierstrasse 53

This is a 1950s and ’60s music bar with a vinyl-only policy. Plenty of live music and cheap drinks guarantees an out of sight night for any hepcat.

Karl-Marx-Strasse and Rathaus Neukölln

Although plenty of hipsters abound in this part of Neukölln, it’s not quite as gentrified as Kreuzkölln and is still home to many Turkish and working class German families. When you’re there, be sure to check out Richardstrasse and Richardplatz near the U-Bahn station Karl-Marx-Str.

Known as Rixdorf, this area was once a Bohemian village and still is home to many historic buildings you won’t see the likes of anywhere else in Berlin. Comenius Garten (Richardstr. 35) is a small green oasis dedicated to the teachings of universal scholars. Stroll along the “life cycle” path and think deep thoughts with locals and stray expats alike.

Food & Drink near Karl-Marx-Strasse and Rathaus Neukölln

Café Rix
Karl-Marx-Str. 141

Tucked away in a leafy green courtyard off of gritty, bustling Karl-Marx-Strasse, Café Rix was here way before the hipster invasion and will still be there once they have moved on to the next big thing. Although the food gets mixed reviews and is a bit on the pricey side, it’s still worth it to pop in for a Pils and enjoy this café’s old school, opulent veneer.

Tabibito
Karl-Marx-Str. 56

Don’t let the shabby, run-down, hole in the wall atmosphere fool you: Tabibito serves some of the best sushi in Berlin at a nice price complete with friendly service.

Louis
Richardplatz 5

Another Neukölln old timer, Café-Restaurant Louis cooks up one of the biggest schnitzels in all of Berlin. If you order the largest size, you could easily feed a family of five. A small selection of German and Austrian specialties are also available on the menu.

Sahara
Reuterstrasse 56

Order the scrumptious Sudanese falafel with peanut sauce — perfect for those looking for the same Turkish and Middle Eastern fare you can get all over the city but with a different ethnic twist. Chicken, halloumi cheese and tofu sandwiches and plates also available.

Klunkerkranich
Karl-Marx-Str. 66

Located on the top floor of the parking garage of one of the world’s dowdiest, most depressing malls, Klunker Kranich — part urban garden and part bar with somewhat surly service — is worth it for the novelty and breathtaking view alone.

Take a wander around the Schillerkiez neighborhood. Photo: Sludge G

Schillerkiez and Hermannstrasse

The neighborhood Schillerkiez is located at the top of one of Berlin’s only hills. Although this area is now as hip and gentrified as its downhill neighbor, you’ll find a slightly older crowd and lots of cool, urban families with Dutch design buggy bikes.

Besides the lovely tree-lined Schiller Promenade, namesake of the neighborhood, you’ll also find three parks: Körnerpark, Hasenheide and, the mother of all urban green spaces, Tempelhof Airport. If you’re visiting Berlin in the summer, Hasenheide also has a Freiluftkino (open air cinema) where they often show movies in the original language.

Food & Drink in Schillerkiez

Café im Körnerpark
Schierkerstr. 8

With its fountains and Neo-baroque garden style, Körnerpark — turning 100 in 2016 — brings a stylish flair to the rougher, somewhat less gentrified streets around S-Bahn/U-Bahnhof Hermannstrasse. Although the food at the café is nothing to write home about, it’s still the perfect place for a spot of Kaffee und Kuchen.

From Hanoi With Love
Hermannstrasse 176

A hipster hotspot with tasty Vietnamese food. Expect big portions and low prices.

Zimt und Mehl
Weigandufer 16

This café, popular for breakfast, has fair prices, friendly service, and tables with a view over the canal —what else could you ask for?

Mmaah
Columbiadamm 160

This little snack bar offers several Korean BBQ dishes in different sizes. Order one to go and jaunt around the corner to Tempelhof Airport to feast on bulgogi or mandu while watching the rollerbladers, bicyclist and kite skateboarders roll past.

SchillerBurger
Herrfurthstrasse 7

A popular burger place with several Berlin locations, including one down the hill at Karl-Marx-Strasse 223.

Froschkönig
Weisestrasse 17

A friendly neighborhood smoker’s bar which shows silent films on Wednesdays complete with live piano music.

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Here’s a quick rundown of some of the center city’s most-accessible markets and few ideas to help you find affordable gifts:

Gendarmenmarkt: fun entertainment worth the cheap price

This is the only market I have ever been to that charges an entrance fee—to the tune of only €1. That finances an entertainment stage with constant performances, as well as fancifully costumed figures roaming the market and spreading cheer and laughter. There are many larger shops at this market offering “indoor” shopping rather than just market stands, and several restaurants also offer indoor seating.

Alexanderplatz: double your pleasure, double your fun

The square at Alexanderplatz itself is home to a very typical market, with a mix of cheap market items you might find any- and everywhere (colorful knitwear sets, leather wallets, keychains and trinkets) and more unique and handcrafted items such as jewelry, soaps, or handwoven baskets. Given its location at a major transportation crossroads for natives, this market has an abundance of food stands. This is also the most central location to shop for a souvenir for your tree at a Kathe Wohlfahrt glass ornaments shop.

In the shadow of the TV tower, just in front of City Hall, there is a second Christmas market even larger than the first. In the area surrounding the Neptune fountain is a giant ice skating rink with on-site skate rentals, a flying Santa sleigh and a large Ferris wheel. Because it is more atmospheric than its neighbor, it is often quite crowded, with comparable food and drink offerings to the other Alex market.

Potsdamer Plats Christmas Market is the first to open every holiday season. Photo: onnola

Potsdamer Platz: Austrian flair for earlybirds

This market is the first to open in the center of Berlin, usually by the middle of November, so if you’re visiting the city before the Christmas season is in full swing, you can usually get your mulled wine and candied almond fix here. It also offers a gigantic tubing hill with snow machines, if you would like to go sledding. This is a good place to pick up handcrafted wooden Christmas crafts, like arch-shaped candleholders for windows or traditional Christmas “pyramids.”

Opernpalais: nostalgic market

Back for the first time in a few years, this market just past the Cathedral and Museum Island was once among my absolute favorites. Unfortunately, the current subway line work in the area has it seemingly sandwiched between construction zones, meaning it’s best visited at night. You’ll find a unique selection of quality wares for sale here.

Beautiful Charlottenburg Palace all lit up for Christmas. Photo: Stephanie Kligast

Charlottenburg: klein aber fein (small but mighty)

This market in Charlottenburg takes place immediately in front of the palace, which makes for perhaps the best Christmas market photo opportunity in Berlin. While not the largest of the markets, it is also typically uncrowded, which can be a real blessing. Most of the food stands are gathered together, making this an excellent place for groups to meet and eat. The goods on offer are usually very high quality—and if you are in the market for a fancy hat, this is the place!

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Mayor Wowereit, affectionately called “Wowi,” also popularized the phrase “poor but sexy” to describe this bankrupt city. So no wonder Berlin is a Cheapo heaven—even the high glam of gay clubs won’t set you back too much.

Here are a few resources you need for a gay ol’ time in the world’s queer capital on the cheap.

1. Siegessäule

The free monthly queer mag is your one-stop resource for all things gay. You won’t need much German to read the calendar section at the back: S&M, after all, is “S&M” in German, too. You’ll see dozens of events and parties listed every day.

2. SchwuZ
Mehringdamm 61
(030) 6290880

Berlin’s gay scene is largely dominated by small bars. Very few clubs match SchwuZ’s longevity and diversity. Check the calendar before you go–or you might be surprised to find a gay goth night, a ladies-only gathering, or even a foam party (Yes, we’re still reliving the ’90s here. Stop judging us).

Extra cheapo tip: No one wants to be seen there too early, but the cover’s cheaper before midnight. Here’s how locals do it: Pay first, get your hand stamped, then take a seat in the popular ground floor bar for a drink before heading into the club. I repeat: stop judging us.

3. Die Busche
Warschauer Platz 18
(030) 296 08 00

No one ever admits to going here, but mysteriously the place gets packed as the night wears on. It may be the lowest rung in the hierarchy of queer establishments, but the unabashedly tacky atmosphere makes for a fun, down-to-earth evening out. (Brace yourself for top 40 hits… from a few years ago.) Also, it may be the only queer place in town where girls outnumber boys.

4. GMF
Alexander Straße 7

If Die Busche is low, GMF is as high as it gets–literally. The decadent Sunday party radiates thumping music from the dizzying heights of a high-rise at Alexanderplatz. By Berlin standards, the €10 cover is hefty, but if you’re planning on staying out all night, the rooftop seats are probably more plush than your hostel bed.

Also in our guide: We don’t just stop at clubs and bars; we also have great recommendations for the most affordable hotels in Berlin, all of them visited and inspected by our editors. Read our reviews (and see our photos) in our Berlin guide.

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That means almost every night, you have three productions to choose from. They can run the gamut from the usual suspects (yes, Figaro, I’m looking at you) to more obscure choices (this season, we have two separate productions of a modern piece about Carmelite nuns during the French Revolution).

Though the competing directors seem to incessantly complain about budget cuts, all three operas, the Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper and Komische Oper, seem to be thriving, dutifully putting on new productions and old favorites from September through June. Luckily for us, that means there is a glut of seats to fill, so tickets are sold at heavily subsidized prices.

Here’s a guide to divas, deception and drama—all so unglamorously affordable.

Classic Card
www.classiccard.de

If you’re under 30, you’re in luck. The excellent Classic Card lets the cardholder buy any seat in any of the opera houses for €10. That’s right—center orchestra seat, close enough to see the singers quiver. Just one good seat pays for the card, which is €15 and valid for one year. Since it’s also valid at ballets and symphonies, this tiny piece of plastic has saved me thousands over the years. Buy at the box office and start using it right away.

Komische Oper
Behrenstraße 55-57
030 47997400
U-55/S-Bahn Brandenburger Tor or U-6 Französische Str.
www.komische-oper-berlin.de

Young, cool and cheeky, the Komische Oper on Unter den Linden puts on productions that are daring even by Berlin standards. You get individual subtitles, which also come in English, so you can at least try to keep up with the story lines. The cheapest top balcony seats can be had for €8 to €12 (premieres are always more expensive). Except for premieres, students under 30 and seniors over 65 get 25% off all tickets as well.

Staatsoper im Schiller Theater
Bismarckstraße 110
030 202683
U-2 Ernst Reuter Platz
www.staatsoper-berlin.de

While its sumptuous, cathedral-like home base is being renovated, this former East German crown jewel has fled to the West. In its temporary (and smaller) home at the Schiller Theater, tickets can be had for as low as €14, but students and seniors get 50% off all seats; or, they can risk it until an hour before curtain call and grab whatever is left over for €13. But the best deals are for kiddies: for designated children-friendly matinee performances, tickets are €3.

Deutsche Oper
Bismarckstraße 35
030.343 84 343
U-2 Deutsche Oper
www.deutscheoperberlin.de

The West Berlin opera is a mammoth black box of acoustic wonder. Nosebleed seats are €14, and as the theater is much bigger than the other two, you may actually struggle to see everything from up there. Students under 30 get 50% off all tickets one week before the performance, and pay no more than €13.50 one hour before performance.

One word of warning: There are two older box office attendants whose brusqueness is legendary. (I once saw a Spanish tourist reduced to tears.) Don’t take it personally. We’ve all been abused by them, but we keep going back for more.

Extra cheapo tip: Sometimes your opera ticket doubles as a public transportation ticket from and to the theater, so check the fine print on the ticket. If you have Berlin Welcome Card, you also get 25% off certain tickets at all of the three operas.

More unsolicited advice: I once saw a poor thing arrive in what seemed like a very uncomfortable prom dress. This is Berlin, so you really don’t need to dress up. You’ll see society folks in haute couture and students in jeans side by side. So just be yourself and enjoy the music.

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In February 2009, Irish expat Joe Hatchiban plugged in a karaoke set at Berlin’s Mauerpark Flea Market in Prenzlauer Berg. A bicycle courier by day, Hatchiban toted the necessary equipment on his vehicle: a laptop with karaoke mp3s, a microphone, mixer, two speakers, an umbrella, and a lawn chair. The stage was open to anyone with the gusto to sing and dance on stage. It was a huge success.

Enter the Bearpit

Bearpit Karaoke now draws about 1,500 people on an average Sunday afternoon. It’s open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m in the summer and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the fall. Performers range from kids to adults, metal heads to opera singers, and average Joes to best friend trios.

“It brings a whole new activity to the flea market,” says Donald Burke, a professional Berlin guide, bartender, and Bearpit Karaoke regular.

Burke is a loyal fan, admitting that two favorite performances he caught recently were the Spice Girls’ “If You Wanna Be My Lover” sung by a French girl who barely knew the lyrics, and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” performed by a 13-year-old boy “with perfect choreography.”

Razzle dazzle them

It’s all about picking a tune that’s both a crowd-pleaser and that falls in line with the three-and-a-half-minute song limit. In the end, perfect pitch isn’t necessary when you’ve got killer moves, high enthusiasm and audience interaction.

The beauty of Bearpit Karoake lies in its communal aspect, as the crowd acts as a giant support group for all performers. The seating area in Mauer Park’s stone amphitheater fills quickly with onlookers ready to spend an entire afternoon clapping, dancing, and shouting lyrics to singers in need of assistance. The event is also a magnet for tourists, who are offered a special look inside Berlin’s summer scene.

Sing for your supper

“It’s also a new outlet for food and drink businesses to set up and accommodate the 1,000 people watching karaoke,” Burke said. About a dozen refreshment vendors line the area ready with water, beer, and soft drinks at dirt-cheap prices.

There is no cost to watch or sing at Bearpit Karaoke, though donations are happily accepted. The whole event doesn’t aim to make money; it’s simply a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Bearpit Karaoke runs during the warm months of summer and fall.  Check out the Web site for more information.

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Big shows with hefty price tags, including Patti Smith, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire and more, will hit the capital’s dozens of stages this season. But there are so many smaller and cheaper venues throughout the city that you won’t have a hard time catching up-and-coming acts for little—or even nothing.

Here’s a rundown of our favorite venues that sing the Cheapo tune:

Be Worldly

Housed in a funky 1950s building dubbed the “pregnant oyster” by locals, the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (S-bahn: Hauptbahnhof; U-bahn: Bundestag) hosts dozens of free or inexpensive acts from far-flung corners of the world.

The multi-kulti (German slang for multicultural) Wassermusik Festival (July 22-August 13) features live music outdoors (or, in the case of rain, inside). This year’s theme—the Danube, the Nile and the Amazon—dictates the diverse acts, which hail from Hungary, Peru, Uganda and beyond. Tickets are €10. After the concert, you can take a relaxing—and cost-free—stroll through the expansive Tiergarten park.

Jazz-a-ma-tazz

Berlin’s most famous jazz club, Quasimodo, shuts its doors July and August, but A-Trane (S-bahn: Savingyplatz) and B-Flat (S-bahn: Hackeschermarkt) sweat out the summer. Both venues offer the occasional free concerts; B-Flat shows are rarely more than €10 (€8 if you’re a student).

Open-Air

Berlin’s most beloved summer hangout, Badeshiff (U-bahn: Schlesisches Tor, €4), doubles as a music venue in July and August. Badeschiff is a swimming pool floating atop the Spree River in the funky district of Treptow, just east of bar-lined Kreuzberg. During the day, it’s the place to cool off and recover from a night on the town. After 8 p.m., it’s the place to catch some inexpensive tunes before hitting the bars again. Performers include singer-songwriters and DJs. Shows start at 8 p.m. and cost €4.

If you do feel like shelling out for a full-price concert, check out Comet Club (S-bahn and U-bahn: Schlesisches Tor) for shows under €20 and O2 Welt (S-bahn: Ostbahnhof), Huxelys Neue Welt (U-bahn: Hermannplatz), Arena (S-bahn: Treptower Park) and Magnet Club (U-bahn: Schlesisches Tor) for pricier options.

Don’t forget to check out Zitty, Tip and the English-language Ex-Berliner for comprehensive event listings. If you’re trying to decipher German, look for the word frei (free).

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“Inglorious Basterds,” “The Bourne Supremacy” and “A Good German” are just a few of the films that have been enhanced by the city’s historic and high-tech architecture. Berlin also boasts a cutting-edge film studio, Studio Babelsberg, which produces mega-budget action flicks. What’s up next? “Unknown White Male” with Liam Neeson, January Jones and Diane Kruger.

It only makes sense, then, that Berlin is well-stocked with a wide range of movie theaters. A host of quirky cinemas studding the city play anything but mainstream fare. In fact, you’re more likely to catch an offbeat, English-language independent film in Berlin than in many major cities in the U.S.

Ticket prices and Kinotage

Film-going in Berlin is decidedly Cheapo-friendly. Prices are relatively low—most films don’t cost more than €7. They’re even cheaper on Kinotage (“Movie Day”), when tickets are reduced by about €1.50. Kinotage varies by theater, but it’s usually on Tuesday. Be sure to avoid movies longer than two hours and ten minutes—they can cost up to €1 more.

For current movie listings, pick up an issue or visit the Web sites of Zitty or Tip, the city’s weekly entertainment and cultural listings magazines.

Here are four great cinema options for movie-goers in Berlin:

Babylon Cinema
Rosa Luxemburg Str. 30
U-Bahn: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Admission: €6.50

With its old-fashioned neon marquee, Babylon Berlin is the best of the Yorck Kinogruppe’s art theaters. Its film buff-approved lineup almost always includes English-language films or foreign films with English subtitles, making it a favorite among Berlin’s expats. The theater also hosts occasional film festivals and book talks. After catching a showing, discuss the film over a beer at a nearby Hackescher Markt bar.

Hackesche Höfe Kino
Rosenthaler Str. 40/41
S-bahn: Hackescher Markt
Admission:  €8 (€6.50 on Monday and Tuesday)

Also in Mitte, the Hackesche Höfe Kino is a downsized “multiplex” in one of the neighborhood’s historic courtyards. Movies—from the U.S., Europe and beyond—tend to be critically acclaimed and independent. Documentaries are also well represented.

CineStar Berlin-Original
Potsdamer Str. 4
S-/U-bahn: Potsdamer Platz
Admission: €7; loge seats: €8

Potsdamer Platz is another major place to catch a movie. The futuristic Sony Center is home to two theaters that offer vastly different options. The subterranean CineStar Berlin-Original is an American-style multiplex that plays Hollywood blockbusters in their original versions.

Arsenal
Potsdamer Str. 2
S-/U-bahn: Potsdamer Platz
Admission:€6.50

Adjoining the Filmmuseum Berlin, the Arsenal provides an indie alternative to Cinestar. Also housed in the Sony Center, it runs film series that focus on a specific director—usually a classic like John Ford or Ingmar Bergman.

Note: No matter which theater you choose, be warned that movie theater popcorn in Berlin is sweet.

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